179th Gives Back for National Day of Caring Published Sept. 23, 2011 By TSgt Jessica Q. Hill, Public Affairs Specialist - Journalist 179AW/PA Aug. 11, 2011 -- On Aug. 11, 2011, the 179th Airlift Wing participated in the United Way National Day of Caring by helping two area agencies. The Raemelton Equestrian Center and the newly opened Little Buckeye Children's Museum handpicked the 179 AW to help with projects at their locations, said Capt. Aimee A. Plenge, who helped organize the 179 AW's participation in the event. Both Raemelton and Little Buckeye were chosen by the United Way to receive volunteer help because of the nature of their business. Raemelton provides equestrian therapy to physically, mentally and cognitively impaired adults and children, while Little Buckeye is a children's museum that opened this summer. According to Raemelton's website, they serve more than 100 students on a weekly basis. The 179 AW helps with projects at Raemelton during both the National Day of Caring and Earth Day by completing jobs such as cleaning stables, tending stable yards, mending fences, painting, moving furniture and much more. This year, five members of the 179 AW volunteered during the Aug. event. While members have been volunteering at Raemelton for many years, the Little Buckeye Museum is a newer location for volunteers. 2011 was only the second year that members helped this new local attraction and 10 volunteers from the 179 AW stepped up to help. Little Buckeye is located in downtown Mansfield and offers hands on activities for young children. Little Buckeye volunteers helped with moving items throughout the multi-level museum as well as providing artistic painting. The museum is a membership partner with other kid-friendly museums such as Columbus' Center of Science and Industry, and allows children to learn and create while playing. In addition to Plenge, volunteers for the Aug. event included Tech. Sgt. Lisa Athy, Tech. Sgt. Lyndsy Pumala, Master Sgt. Marc Pumala, Master Sgt. Charles Christopher, Lt. Col. Troy Cramer, Tech. Sgt. Shawnna Hout, Staff Sgt. Evan Adams, Master Sgt. Heidi Bishop, Senior Airman Nicholas Alexander, 1st Lt. Randy Barlow, and Senior Airman James Unger. Plenge said that the high operations tempo due to the recent C-27 deployment and several smaller deployments affected the participation numbers for the volunteer days, but that the 179 AW is still maintaining its volunteer program. "We've been doing this since I started at the base," she noted about volunteering in the local area. "It's great to see it continue every year."